Averting a recipe
for disaster
Our children and their food
By 2050
obesity and malnourishment
I set up Ella’s Kitchen seven years ago, with the simple aim of helping babies and young children eat healthily.
I began this journey by creating foods for the youngest children that would be healthy, convenient and fun, but crucially, so that our brand could help improve children’s relationship with food.
Food habits, both good and bad, are formed in the earliest years. The babies of today are the parents of the future and it is our responsibility to ensure the next generation doesn’t suffer because of poor decisions that we make now.
I set up Ella’s Kitchen seven years ago, with the simple aim of helping babies and young children eat healthily.
I began this journey by creating foods for the youngest children that would be healthy, convenient and fun, but crucially, so that our brand could help improve children’s relationship with food.
Food habits, both good and bad, are formed in the earliest years. The babies of today are the parents of the future and it is our responsibility to ensure the next generation doesn’t suffer because of poor decisions that we make now.
I strongly believe we need to focus our attention on the nutrition of babies and the under fives – this requires a coordinated long-term strategy that focuses on the youngest children.
This is a 25-year challenge which we must start addressing today. As a first step we are calling on the main political parties to commit to a coordinated ‘Food Manifesto for the Under Fives’ as part of their 2015 election manifesto.
If our politicians can work together, and in consensus, rather than with disparate aims, there is an opportunity to save a generation of children from the twin evils of obesity and hunger. We believe the will exists amongst these people - and as politicians, professionals and parents we can work towards achieving a joint goal.
Our report outlines eight ideas from Ella’s Kitchen, which mark the start of our campaign to galvanise support and create a shared vision of how we might encourage our youngest children to have a better relationship with food from day one.
It is not intended to offer a ‘silver bullet solution’ and we cannot do it alone, but I like to believe that little ripples of ideas can form waves of opinion. Ella’s Kitchen was one ripple, and I hope this campaign can be another.
Get in touch, pledge your support and help us Avert A Recipe for Disaster.
Averting A Recipe For Disaster outlines how this could be achieved.
It includes insights collected through discussions with some of the UK’s foremost influencers in the food industry, health, charity and media.
We need your support to turn this long-term vision into a reality.
Chef and Restaurateur
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Officer for Health Promotion
Sustainability Director, Ella’s Kitchen
Social Policy Editor, The Guardian
Editor, BBC Good Food
Broadcaster and Presenter, BBC Radio 3
Presenter, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4
Food Scientist and Flavour Consultant
Director of Food Safety, Science and Health at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF)
Head of Campaigns, Kids Company
GP, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum
Acting Director of UK Programmes Save The Children
Editor, The Grocer
Restaurateur, Broadcaster and Writer
Founder and Chief Executive, Ella’s Kitchen (Ella’s Dad)
Founder, Magic Breakfast
Brand Director, Ella’s Kitchen
Founder, LEON, Broadcaster and Writer
Campaign’s Director, Sustain
Chair, Children’s Food Trust
Director, PS Communications
Poverty and Early Years Policy Advisor, Children’s Society
Founder and Research Director, the MEND Programme
Schools Project Manager, Jamie Oliver Foundation
Corporate Communications, Ella’s Kitchen
Restaurateur and Founder, LEON
Programme Manager, Local Foods Programme
Senior Client Partner at Coutts Private Office
The report calls for a ‘Food Manifesto for the Under Fives’ - a long term, cross political party plan to improve nutrition for the under fives. This will only be achieved by a coordinated approach from everybody:
The food industry, retailers, policy-makers, parents, educators, and the media.
We want to see ideas taking shape now:
We need your support.
Pledge your support